1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lifting apparatus for a vehicle, and more particularly to a lifting apparatus for a vehicle utilized in the case of taking, e.g., a person utilizing a wheelchair into a vehicle such as a vehicle of the wagon type or a microbus, etc. from the back entrance/exit thereof, or in the case of taking a load or cargo of a proper amount of weight into a vehicle.
2. Prior Art
Hitherto, a lifting apparatus for a vehicle as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 263144/1988 is known as an example of a lifting apparatus for a vehicle of this kind.
The lifting apparatus disclosed is proposed by the same applicant as this application. This lifting apparatus for a vehicle is an apparatus of the so-called drawer type. Its fundamental configuration is as follows. A containing box (container) for a platform is provided below the floor of a vehicle. This platform is advanced and withdrawn relative to the containing box through a plurality of opening/closing support arms opened and closed by a drive force of a hydraulically driven device and projected above the floor of the vehicle.
In the lifting apparatus for vehicle constituted as above, since the platform is accommodated into the portion below the floor, the entrance/exit portion at the back of the vehicle is in an open state. However, since a plurality of opening/closing arms are projected above the floor, there are various problems in manufacture. Particularly, when the opening/closing support arms and/or the hydraulically driven device, etc. are disposed on the side of the internal wall surface of the vehicle, the space for a human being or a load (cargo) is restricted. Further, since the platform is of the drawer type, it is necessary to advance or withdraw it by a certain distance in a backward direction with respect to a human being or a load (cargo) to be taken in. In addition, since this apparatus is of such a structure to accommodate the platform within a containing box, it is impossible to form the platform so that it has desired dimensions. For this reason, members such as a runner or a slide plate, etc. must be separately combined with the main plate to constitute a platform. Namely, with the above-described conventional lifting apparatus for vehicle, there were many problems including problems as mentioned above.